1. Technical Field
Embodiments described herein relate to computing systems, and more particularly, to techniques for determining the performance of a computing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computing systems may include one or more integrated circuits. Such integrated circuits may include specialized devices configured to perform a specific task, or systems-on-a-chip (SoC), which may integrate a number of different functions, such as, e.g., graphics processing, onto a single integrated circuit. With numerous functions included in a single integrated circuit, chip count may be kept low in mobile computing systems, such as tablets, for example, which may result in reduced assembly costs, and a smaller form factor for such mobile computing systems.
Prior to assembling a computing system, each included integrated circuit may be tested. Such testing may be performed at various stages of the assembly process. For example, an integrated circuit may be tested shortly after fabrication using a semiconductor manufacturing process has completed. Such testing is often referred to as “wafer probe” any may identify any instances of a particular integrated circuit that are faulty due to the manufacturing process. Test programs executed on external testers may be crafted to identify short circuits, open circuits, or other common manufacturing related failure mechanisms. In some cases, specialized test circuits, such as, e.g., scan chains, may be included in the integrated circuit as aid in testing.
Once an integrated circuit has passed initial wafer probe, it may be assembled into a package, or mounted on a circuit board or other substrate. At this point, the integrated circuit may be further tested to determine its particular operating parameters. For example, an integrated circuit may be tested over a range of power supply voltage levels or temperatures. The process of testing an integrated circuit over a range of values is commonly referred to as characterization. At each combination of voltage level, temperature, etc., one or more tests may be executed. By testing the integrated circuit at a variety of operational conditions, the range of allowable values of the operational conditionals may be determined.